


Late Night Rendezvous

by DontBeSoColdCold (Cerulean_Empress)



Series: HOHOHO [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Acceptance, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boyfriends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 20:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6674584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerulean_Empress/pseuds/DontBeSoColdCold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place after the Christmas party in season 2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Late Night Rendezvous

**Author's Note:**

> For [Scarlet~](http://youreturningscarletscarlet.tumblr.com/)  
> Because she's amazing and wonderful!
> 
> (Also, I apologize in advance for any mistakes. This hasn't been beta'd, so if you guys see any mistakes, just let me know and I'll fix them.)

** Date: December 26, 2015 — Saturday. **

** Time: 2:12 A.M. **

_Bzzzzz! Bzzzzz!_

 

It takes me a moment to understand that it was my phone’s buzzing that initially woke me up. I force my sleep-crusted eyes open, every inch of me hoping that it’s not an emergency for _The Flash_ , as I check to make sure I’m not missing anything important from work or my _other job_ as Central City’s resident vigilante. I let out a sigh of relief after confirming that the message isn’t from S.T.A.R. Labs, the precinct, or my friends and family. I snuggle back under the covers, very glad, because there isn’t a need for Barry Allen, the CSI, to go to some crime scene for some forensics work, or my other persona, _The_ _Flash,_ to go catch some bad guys and maybe save a few helpless citizens if necessary—which, don’t get me wrong, I _love_ doing, but right now I’m too exhausted to even _think_ about it.

Basically, it means that I _don’t_ need to get out of my warm, comfy bed just yet, and I’m very happy about that. But curiosity’s got a grudge against me, _obviously_ , and doesn’t let me go back to sleep. 

‘If the text message isn’t from any of the people or places I already thought of, who else could it possibly be contacting me this late at night?’ I wonder, but there’s only one person that comes to mind.

My heartbeat quickens its pace, only slightly, but enough for me to notice. I take in a few deep breaths to relax my anticipation. I should know better than to get excited from wishful thinking by now, but it seems that I’ll never learn to keep myself from hoping. Because even though I don’t want to get my hopes up, knowing that chances of disappointment crashing down on me are high, it’s a built in bad habit that I just can’t seem to get rid of. And so, here I am, hoping against my better judgment for the message to be from a certain someone I’ve been crushing on for a while now. We’re not dating or anything like that. We’ve just been hanging out a bit over the past few months… well it’s more like I’ve been visiting him and making sure no one else will ever find out.

I blink a couple times at my phone screen, focusing my vision on the glaringly bright screen.

 _Come outside -_ ❄

Unknown number or not, that snowflake is a dead give away. Anyone who knows anything about him would easily be able to guess, or at the least suspect, that this message was from him, considering that anything winter themed is his signature. My heartbeat speeds up even more than before, hammering in my ear, and I can’t keep the smile from my face even with the nervous anticipation bubbling up within me. It’s from him. 

_It’s from Len._

I sit up too fast, feeling the grogginess hit me all at once. I flash to the bathroom my foster sister, Iris, and I share, and get ready in a couple of minutes. Sleep _completely_ forgotten at this point. I brush my teeth, shower, comb through my messy hair, and dress casually in sweats. It’s another one of our non–date dates. I don’t want him to think I’m trying _too_ hard, but I don’t want him to think I’m not trying at all either.

I grab my phone and a hoodie before zooming out of the house, my breath catching in my throat as soon as my eyes find his icy blue ones. Leonard Snart is casually leaning back against his motorbike, parked in front of my house—a cop’s house—like he’s not a wanted criminal. And well, he’s technically _not_ , since I deleted anything and everything related to him online, _and_ helped in getting all the physical evidence that could prove otherwise destroyed as a part of the deal we had agreed on, only to have him sabotage the mission he’d sworn to help secure. That was before we became friends though, and _way_ before I realized I had a crush on him. 

In any case, I wouldn’t be so bold if I were him because Joe, my foster father, would shoot him on sight without a second’s hesitation for that betrayal, and even though I trust Len enough now to know that he’s not a bad person—proof of that being the fact that he’d always be willing to do anything to protect his little sister, Lisa, no matter the cost or consequences. Joe doesn’t understand that or see the good that I see in him, which is exactly _why_ I’ve been keeping my recently found friendship with Len a secret from everyone. 

Of course, being _The Flash_ means that I’m fast enough to save him from such a fate, but I’d rather not take any chances in the first place. He’s clearly not afraid of the risks considering that he’d broken _in_ to my home earlier today, though technically speaking, it was yesterday. And in his defense, it was to _warn_ me of the coming danger. 

Thankfully it’s not windy outside; the air is completely still but frozen, so I can see puffs of air as I exhale, and the chill has already started to numb my extra sensitive body. I can feel my nose burning and I know that it’s probably starting to turn red already. I have no idea how Len isn’t freezing himself, but consider me impressed.

The snow all around us is practically radiating, reflecting the moonlight; lighting everything up in a magical glow, _especially_ Len. I take a few extra moments to admire him discreetly, and because of my super-speed, Len won’t be able to catch me in the act. To him it’ll be a fraction of a second, if even that.

He’s wearing a pair of combat boots, skintight jeans, a leather jacket, and a crisp button up—all of it themed in different shades of black or gray, that somehow make his eyes stand out even more than usual, and make them seem a shade darker and more vibrant by the contrasting dark and light colors surrounding him—rather than his usual _Captain Cold_ costume. He looks breath taking. Plus, it’s a nice change from the orange prison uniform I’ve gotten accustomed to seeing him in lately.

Now, I know how this all seems. If people were to find out the truth, they would think, “A superhero being friends with his nemesis? That’s ridiculous. You’re kidding me; The Flash and Captain Cold are friends now? Where’d you hear that nonsense? Did Flash forget about who Cold is and all the bad things he’s done and probably will do in the future? What? Are you serious? He also happens to have a crush on Cold? That’s just plain crazy! He must be losing his mind! The world is going to end!”

Those are the same things I worry about, which is why I still haven’t told anyone anything about me and him, not like there’s much to say anyway, as we’re just friends. Nothing good would come out of me telling my friends and family that I’ve fallen for a criminal. It would just cause unnecessary drama. If things ever get serious between me and him—highly doubtful but if they do—then I’ll come clean. It’s not like I _like_ keeping Len a secret.

He and I become friends, _after_ a lot of pestering from me, so we’re barely even that really. So, there’s no way that he’d ever have feelings for me. He’s just a flirt by nature; so all the flirty puns he flashes my way don’t really mean anything. And I know better than to hope that they do, but still… it’s hard to not hope when it’s actually happening.

“I was starting to think you weren’t gonna _show_ , Barry.”

His voice is deep and knee–weakening. I love hearing it more than I should, I know, but I can’t help it. I’m not sure whether it’s the cold or the sight of Len that’s making me shiver, probably both, so I slip on my hoodie, longing for more heat.

“What do you want, Len? It’s two in the freaking morning. You better have a good reason for calling me out here in this freezing weather.” I demand sternly, grouchy from the cold and sleep deprivation. 

“Someone’s _frosty_.” Len smiles, holding out a safety helmet, completely ignoring the look I’m giving him. “Hop on. I’ll explain once we get there.”

“Don’t you need one too? Where’s yours?” I ask, pointing towards the bulky, black, plastic headgear. Holding off the invitation to be close to Len for a while longer even though I’m dying to do just that on the inside. Because when I’m near him my brain stops functioning properly and I tend to forget the boundaries between us—not that I’ve actually crossed any, just that I’ve come very, _very_ close several times. Like I said, we’re _just_ friends.

“ _Worried_?” Len answers with a question instead, smirking. His sharp blue eyes piercing through me, daring me to deny it. After a moment I break away from his sharp gaze, taking the hard hat and putting it on, suddenly not in the mood to argue because of the cold—or so I tell myself.

“You didn’t bring your gun.” I point out once I’m close enough to be certain, diverting the topic.

“ _Nope_.”

“Why not?” I ask, feeling both suspicious and curious at the same time. “You never leave your gun.”

“Won’t be needing it tonight. Why, did you _want_ me to bring it? Hmm, _Scarlet_?” He teases and I shake my head, finally giving in and smiling. I don’t utter a single word, afraid that my voice would crack, and knowing my luck, it most definitely would. I don’t miss the way he addressed me, or the _emphasis_ he puts on my favorite pet name, but I pretend like it has no effect on me since I don’t know what he’s playing at yet. 

“I thought we could hang out like _normal_ people for once. No guns, no powers—just you and me, Barry.”

“I thought the prison visits _were_ normal. Were they not to your satisfaction, Captain?” I can’t help but tease him back because of habit. Though I admit, it’s more flirting than teasing, but that _is_ my normal around him, and he doesn’t even realize I’m flirting with him, so it’s not like it really matters.

“Oh, those were plenty good, but you and I both know those could never compare to the _thrill_ of our meet ups as The Flash and Captain Cold.” He smirks, eyeing me casually. “ _Besides_ , you secretly using your powers to sneak into my cell was _hardly_ normal.”

“Well our _normal_ is only as normal as a CSI regularly visiting criminals _can_ be, which in my case _is_ pretty normal, since I used to visit my dad, but you already knew that.”

“That was _different_ , Barry. Don’t tell me you don’t realize that. He was _family_.” Len meets my eyes only for a brief moment before turning away, but it’s enough time for me to study his gaze. The unspoken words, ‘I’m _not_ ,’ freezing in the cold air lingering outside.

“ _So_ , which type are you hoping for _tonight_? _Friend_ or _foe_?” I break the silence, not knowing what else to do.

“Friend,” he replies softly.

“Hmm… I thought you didn’t _want_ to be friends.” I tease.

“I changed my mind. _Besides_ , it wasn’t like you actually _gave_ me a choice.”

“That’s right, I’d have pestered you ‘til you got tired of denying it and finally agreed.”

“That’s because you _have_ no life. You’re like a persistent two-year-old.”

“Hey! You have no room to _judge_ , _Mr. Criminal_ , so can it!”

“Now _Barry_ , where are your manners? Didn’t anyone teach you it’s _rude_ to be icy to your Captain?”

“ _My_ Captain?” I raise an eyebrow at him, managing to hold back a smile. “Oh _please_.”

“Why _Flash_ , I’m hurt. I’ll have to go find myself another superhero if you keep this up. One who won’t _deny_ our relationship.”

“Oh no! Whatever will I do? Captain _five-year-old_ is threatening to _replace_ me.” I sass, rolling my eyes at him, and smiling despite myself. “So, why _are_ you here at this hour? What’s so important that it couldn’t have waited until morning?”

“We need to _talk_.”

“ _Talk_? About what?” I ask, not liking the seriousness in his voice. I prefer his playfulness and our flirty-teasing banter more than anything else.

“Us.”

“ _Us_?”

“For shit’s _sake_ , stop repeating what I’m saying and get on! Your lips are starting to turn _blue_.”

The cold is enough of a motivation to get me moving, the faster I climb on, the faster we reach said destination, and the faster I can get out of the cold that I’ve stubbornly been withstanding. Besides, the idea of sharing personal space with Len is a bit _too_ _inviting_ and _distracting_ for me to focus on anything else for too long anyway.

“ _Fine_ , but this better not be a trap,” I grumble half-heartedly, climbing on the back of Len’s motorbike. My heart beating too fast, even for me, as I wrap my numb body around Len’s surprisingly warm one.

“Guess you’ll just have to _trust_ me.” He replies, teasingly, and I don’t need to look at him to know he’s smirking. I can hear it in his voice when we’re this close to one another.

The motorbike reverberates as Len brings its engine to life and I take the opportunity to burry my face in the warmth of his neck, nuzzling my frozen nose against his blissfully warm skin. He thankfully doesn’t call me out on it, and pretends like it’s not happening. I take in deep breaths of his intoxicatingly unique scent: minty winter—like peppermint, pine cones, evergreen trees, and ice—the only way I can describe it, to be honest.

The closeness between us feels like heaven, and I find myself wishing for the bike ride to never stop, so that this rare intimacy wouldn’t go away. That wish is short lived, as we pull up to an old house and I’m forced to let go of him.

“What is this place?” I ask curiously, taking in the view. It’s a small home, but it seems fairly new if nothing else.

“One of my _nicer_ safe houses.”

“I see.”

“You don’t like it?”

“No, I never said that.”

“Then what?” 

“It’s just that… I’ve never been to any of your safe houses before, or anyone else’s for that matter.” 

“ _Of course_ you haven’t. It’s a special _privilege_ for only a select few. They’re called safe houses for a _reason_ , if everyone knew where they were then they’d be _useless_.”

“Thanks for trusting me enough to bring me here.” I thank him sincerely, not knowing how else to respond. Plus, I do mean it, and I want him to know that I do. 

“You’re not gonna get all teary-eyed on me now, are you?”

“Don’t be a dick, Lenny, or I _will_ leave.” I threaten. “ _Okay_?” 

“Yeah, yeah. I understand _perfectly_ , _mom_.” He rolls his eyes, unlocking the front door. “Now come on, you’ll feel warmer inside.”

“So, how exactly _did_ you get my number?” I continue questioning once we’re both inside, not giving a consuming silence any chances to settle in. 

“That’s not important,” Len replies, refusing to answer the question in his own way.

“Wait… since _when_ have you had it?” he doesn’t reply.

“You’ve had it for a while now, haven’t you?” I accuse. Still no answer.

“So why didn’t you just call me earlier today— _yesterday_ —like a _normal_ person, instead of _breaking_ into my home?”

“It just didn’t seem as fun as surprising you. After all, you know I’d never miss a good opportunity to catch _you_ off guard, Flash.”

“ _Of course_ not.” I roll my eyes at him. “Hell would freeze over and melt if you couldn’t catch me off guard at _every_ given opportunity.”

I can tell Len enjoys my brand of sarcasm, and I have to admit that it secretly makes me feel proud of myself every time I get him to genuinely laugh or smile—which sadly, hasn’t been more than a couple times.

“You hungry?” Len asks, leading the way.

“Yeah, actually… I think I am,” I reply. I hadn’t been feeling up to eating much at the Christmas party, so I’d stuck to drinks alone. But now that I’m thinking about it, food sounds just as heavenly as that never-ending bike ride.

“Good, then follow me.”

Len leads me to a dinning area jam packed with enough food to feed a small army of _at least_ a hundred soldiers. There’s pizza, sushi, noodles, hot dogs, hamburgers, tacos, chicken, desserts, and lots of different types of drinks. I can’t keep the smile from my face at the sight. Not just because of the food but because he remembered about my hypoglycemia even though I told him about it only once.

“You just missed me and wanted to see me, didn’t you?” I tease, not dropping our previous topic.

“Well, I _was_ counting on you being alone, so yes. Ms. West was...  _unexpected_  company,” Len states bluntly, not denying anything, and I can feel the heat creeping up the back of my neck all the way up to my ears. It infuriates me how easily this man gets me flustered, but I’m too delighted with his reply to care about that right now. 

“Aren’t you eating?” I ask after swallowing the last bite of my eleventh pizza slice.

Len and I are sitting directly next to each other at the dining table, yet it still somehow feels like a date, since it’s just the two of us _and_ because we’re so closely sited. 

“ _Nope_. That’s all for _you_ , Scarlet.” Len says before holding up a bottle. “All I need is _this_.”

“Suit yourself,” I mumble with a shrug. “More for me.”

If you know anything about me, it’s that I definitely don’t need to be _coerced_ to eat good food, especially if I don’t have to pay for it. I end up finishing all the food in less than fifteen minutes. 

I sigh happily as my stomach pleasantly aches, letting me know that it’s full.

“You finished faster than I estimated,” Len says, amused.

“I was really hungry.” I shrug, defending myself. Feeling a little embarrassed. Normally, I’m shameless when it comes to food, but like I said earlier, this man flusters me. 

“Lets clean up shall we?” 

“I can do it.” I offer, needing to cool off and be away from him for a few moments. “Just tell me what goes where.”

“The dishes need washing and the trash goes outside in the dumpster.”

“Got it,” I inform him before speeding off to clean everything up. I finish everything in under a minute, but take a couple more minutes to clear my head.

“Handy.” Len comments, impressed, before motioning for me to follow him. A comfortable silence falls in place until we reach the living room, where Len decides to break it.

“Here…” Len holds out a box gift wrapped in _The Flash_ themed wrapping paper.

“You got me a _present_?” I ask skeptically, feeling leery yet excited.

“Just _something_ , for all your _hard_ _work_.”

I narrow my eyes and glare at the shiny box. There has to be a catch or maybe it’s a trick because _why_ would Captain Cold get _me_ a present? I mean we’re friends now, sort of, but we aren’t close enough for Christmas presents, _are_ _we_?

“Go on, take it.” Len orders, pushing the gift into my arms with enough force that I end up losing my balance and topple onto the couch behind me. The box feels cold to the touch.

“It’s just… I didn’t get you anything.” I mumble quietly.

“Don’t worry about it, Kid. I wasn’t expecting anything from you.” 

“But now, I feel _bad_ about not even thinking of you when I went Christmas shopping with Iris. Well, it’s not that I didn’t _think_ of you, I just never thought of _getting_ you a present, because where would you hide it in prison? I didn’t know you were gonna break out, I mean how could I have know something like that? So, I never thought about what you might like.” I ramble on, and it’s at times like this I wish I had a switch that could just magically shut me up and keep me from embarrassing myself any further. 

“You _can_ always make it up to me by giving me a free pass for one heist in return, _or_ by joining me for one.”

“I can’t believe you!” I smack his arm. “There’s _no way_ I’m agreeing to either one of those suggestions.” 

“Wait, did you _steal_ this?” I ask, holding up the perfectly gift-wrapped package in between us. My fingers have started numbing from holding onto the present, which seems to be getting colder and colder; making me more curious as to what it could possibly be.

“No. I had it made _especially_ for you.”

I give in to curiosity after a couple more seconds and sit up a bit straighter before starting to unwrap the package carefully. It takes me a few seconds to realize what I’m looking at, but after I do, I have a hard time controlling my expression. I can feel the back of my neck heating up, hotter than before, to the point that both my cheeks and my ears feel like they’re on fire, as embarrassment pumps through my veins.

“Is this a…” I lift the horrifying object out of the box, slowly, using only the tips of my fingers. “…Dildo?" 

It’s made entirely out of ice and it’s _huge_.

“I reinforced it with the Cold Gun. It won’t be melting anytime _soon_.

“ _Why_?” I ask, blushing even more, when Len doesn’t deny it. My fingers are already starting to go numb by how _cold_ the ice sculpture is.

“To help _cool_ you down… after a long night of _running around_.” Len replies with a pun, and as endearing as they’ve become, puns aren’t helping right now. His face is masked into his usual _Captain Cold_ expression, but even I can see the cracks through it right now. He looks like he wants to burst out laughing and like he’s just barely holding himself in check.

“ _What_ , in frozen hell, _possessed_ _you_ to think that _this_ could _possibly_ be a good idea for a Christmas present? Or _any_ other type of present for that matter.”

Len shrugs a shoulder lazily, “It’s my season. Winter. Cold. I can do whatever I want,” he says the last part in a singsong way, like _that’s_ an answer.

“I’m not accepting this.” I declare, dropping the _ice sculpture_ back into the box and shoving it to the other side of the sofa, refusing to even _look_ at it.

Len finally cracks, laughing out loud. 

“What’s so _funny_?” I grumble, flushing even more. 

“It’s a joke, Kid.” He confesses, once his fit of laughter stops. “Lisa’s idea. She arranged the entire thing. Got all the necessary… _pieces_.” 

Len’s gaze flicks to said joke, as he explains, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

“This _here_ ,” Len pulls out another, smaller box, “is the actual present.”

This box is considerably smaller than the first, wrapped in shiny blue paper that’s themed with silver and gold snowflakes. I reluctantly accept the gift, hesitating for only a moment before opening it.

‘ _What’s the worst that can happen?’_ I think to myself, taking a deep breath before opening it. ‘ _At worst, it’ll probably be another sex toy or something. Hopefully.’_  

There’s a single ring on the inside. I pick it up carefully, to inspect it.

It’s a navy blue color, with a peculiar design in the center, undoubtedly a jagged silver snowflake.

‘ _It’s Captain Cold’s logo!_ ’ My mind supplies, overly excited, from the background. It’s strange how much my mind’s voice sounds a lot more like Cisco every day, but I’m not paying close attention to it right now, since I’m distracted by my Christmas present. 

“What’s this?” I ask, stupefied.

‘ _It couldn’t be a—no that’d be too sudden, we’re not even a real couple yet. So it rules out both proposal and promise ring. Wait… did I just say_ yet _? The hell, I meant_ never _. Because he’s… a criminal and I’m a hero… and there’s no way Len even_ likes me _like that… so us becoming a couple isn’t even a possibility. We’re only friends. And barely even that._ ’

“Relax, it’s just a communicator.” Len answers, dismissing all the ‘what ifs’ my brain had been coming up with.

“Oh…" 

It’s not like I was expecting, or hoping for, something else, but my voice sounds a little disappointed even to my own ears.

“Disappointed?” Len chuckles, seeing right through me.

“N-no!” I deny it, a little too quickly and defensively. Len just shrugs and gives me a ‘whatever you say’ look, but once again doesn’t call me out.

‘ _Okay, maybe a little.’_ I admit to myself silently. ‘ _I mean who gets someone a cool ring for…_ just _communication? No one! That’s who.’_

 _‘Not true, man. ‘Cause he just_ did _.’_ My mind supplies, in a very Cisco-esque way.

“Press the emblem here, if you ever… _need_ me.” 

Len reaches over, his cold fingers brushing against mine as he slips the ring onto my index finger, lightly tapping the snowflake. A barely audible gasp escapes me, and I don’t dare look him in the eyes, not sure what he might read off my expression. The ring fits me perfectly, and I can’t help but wonder how Len knows so many things about me. We didn’t spend _that_ much time together when he was in prison because I was busy as Barry Allen _and_ The Flash.

“I’ll be able to contact you as well if necessary,” Len adds, pointing to a ring he’s wearing. 

 _‘How did I_ not _notice that before? Was he wearing it earlier?’_ I question myself _._

_‘No, he definitely wasn’t.’ My mind decides._

_‘He must’ve slipped it on while I was distracted by the prank.’_

It’s a silver ring, with a design I know all too well in its center. The Flash’s logo: a golden lightning bolt. _My_ symbol.

The entire concept of matching rings—or matching anything—is very endearing all of a sudden. And, the fact that they’re communicators only the two of us can use is pretty cool too.

My heart shouldn’t be beating this fast, and I shouldn’t be feeling so happy about this. But I _am_. What can I say? My feelings for this man definitely go way deeper than I’ve allowed myself to admit.

But now, I’m not really afraid of the truth, of my feeling for him. Everyone is wrong about him. I know in my very being that the man standing in front of me is no villain. He’s rough on the outside, but there’s a bright light burning inside of him, just needing a guide to help it shine through. To help him become the man I know he can be. A _hero_ just waiting to be found.

The fact that Len put so much thought into something _for_ me, just makes me feel _so_ _happy_ and _warm_ on the inside, I cannot describe it through words. Before I know what I’m doing, or can stop myself, I find myself embracing Len. My arms wrapped tight around his waist and my face buried deep into his collarbone.

“Thank you,” I whisper into him, breathing him in noticeably, committing the feel of holding him tight to my memory incase I never get a chance to do so again.

I ready myself incase he wants to pull away, but he doesn’t. Instead, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in even closer.

“ _You_ are very welcome, Scarlet.”

For a while, we just stand there. Holding each other close. Relaxed. Breathing slowly, taking in each other’s scent.

Eventually, we do let go of one another, and sit down on the couch; close enough for our thighs to meet.

“Where did you get them made?” I ask, breaking the silence. 

“Here, actually,” Len replies, his attention fully on me. “I got Hartley to make them.”

I won’t lie. A pang of jealousy _does_ hit me when his name is mentioned, but I push it away. I don’t have a reason to be jealous, or the right, yet I am anyway. My heart feels like it’s drowning in stomach acid, and for some reason, I feel very lonely. 

“Hartley? _Pied Piper_ , Hartley?”

“He’s a part of The Rogues now,” Len confirms. “Don’t worry, he hasn’t sabotaged either one of the communicators. I checked.” That information doesn’t help me feel any better, though.

I take Len’s hand in mine gently, to trace over the design of his ring, and then lace our fingers together nonchalantly. He doesn’t pull away, and _that_ makes me feel better, honestly. 

“So, how does this work exactly?” I ask tapping my ring, just to prolong the touch. “What happens when I press this?”

“ _This_ ,” Len says, pressing the lightning bolt on his ring. A few seconds later, I feel a tiny vibration coming from mine. Silent, so only I’d know he was calling if someone else was around.

“Press the snowflake,” Len instructs. “It’s like an on-off button.”

A hologram type of screen appears above both rings once I do as he says. Mine projecting a live feed of Len from the waist up, and his projecting one of me. I press the snowflake again and both screens fade away. 

“If you’re in a tight spot where we can’t have a proper call, then you can also leave a message. Just hold down the emblem to record, and let go once you’re ready for it to send.” He demonstrates using his own ring. “Turn the emblem clockwise to erase and rerecord, and turn it counter-clockwise to listen to a message again. You answer both calls and messages by just pressing the emblem and letting go.”

“You sure went all out.”

“I had to make sure we always have a secure way of communication that won’t be… _compromised_.”

“And what, normal cellphones _wouldn’t_ work? Or I don’t know, normal face to face meetings?” 

“These are _better_ than cellphones. They’re _waterproof_. Hartley really out did himself this time.” Len praises, and I get the urge to time travel just to have Cisco make these instead, so I wouldn’t have to hear Len talk about _The Pied Piper._ But, I also know the downsides to time travel, so I wouldn’t risk a horrible catastrophe just because of something _petty_ like jealousy.

I reluctantly let go of his hand, trying to straighten out my thoughts before speaking.

“Are you…” I take a deep breath, swallowing the nerves clawing up my throat. “You’re still not seeing anyone, right?” 

“Why so _curious_ about my love life, Scarlet?” Len teases. “Hoping to ask me out on a date yourself?”

I opt not to say anything as embarrassment and nerves jumble up my thoughts.

“No, I’m not.” He states once he realizes I’m not going to reply back at all until he answers the question seriously.

“Before the particle accelerator exploded,” I start to explain from the beginning not knowing how else to go about it. “Before I became _The Flash_ … there was a girl I was in love with…” I pause, to figure out what to say next.

“I remember you briefly mentioning this once.”

“Well if you haven’t figured it out, it was Iris. I was in love with her for the majority of my life. Since I was eleven, actually. She’s one of the most _amazing_ people I know. So strong and brave. She’s my best friend, and at the time I was _afraid_ … to tell her the truth.”

I look at Len, to make sure he’s really listening to what I’m saying, he is. Patiently and calmly, waiting for me to continue at my own pace.

“I was _so_ afraid that if she didn’t like me back the same way, then I’d lose her… lose what we already had, and I couldn’t _stand_ risking that, so I kept my feelings a secret. Though apparently, it was very obvious to _everyone_ … everyone but _her_ , that is.”

Len takes my hand in his, and I let him. Enjoying the coolness of his touch. It’s nice. Calming and grounding. Comforting even.

“I was going to tell her on the night the particle accelerator exploded, because a new friend, at the time, had helped me see that it would be better to try than not at all. But before I could I was struck by lightning, and then I was in a coma for nine months. _Nine freakin’ months_. That’s almost an entire year.”

I haven’t really talked about the coma with anyone. Not even myself. Yet here I am, confessing to _Captain Cold_ of all people. Because somehow talking to Len is _easy_. 

“When I finally woke up, things had changed. _I_ had changed.” I pause, looking at Len. He squeezes my hand gently, encouraging me to go on.

“The last thing I remember before waking up was the searing pain. It was probably too fast for anyone to notice just how panicked and scared I was, waking up in an unfamiliar place, plugged up to strange medical equipment, with two strangers one of whom had immediately started probing and prodding at me—I didn’t know Caitlin and Cisco then, so it was beyond weird and uncomfortable. I didn’t know what was going on or what I was supposed to do, and before I could even process all of that Cait being Cait had started babbling at me to look at her and pee in a cup or something. Cisco thankfully came to my rescue and got her to back off so I could have some room to breathe, but I still felt… _out of place_ there.”

“Dr. Wells— _Eobard_ … he was there too. They were all trying to explain to me what had happened and that they needed to do more tests on me, and I remember just wanting to get away from there. Wanting to go see Iris… Wanting to go see Joe and my father. In those nine months I’d missed out on too much. Too many things had happened within a blink of my eyes. My father was depressed and heartbroken. No one had even bothered to tell him why I wasn’t visiting him all of a sudden. He never even knew that I was hit by lightning or that I was in a coma until I told him myself when I was finally able to go see him. He spent those nine months worried that I hated him and completely alone in prison because no one else believed that he was innocent at the time. Joe’s partner was dead, killed by one of the Mardon brothers on the same night I went into a coma. My best friend was already in love with someone else and I had missed my chance. I was too late for too many things.”

A silence fills up the room as I think of how to go on and get to the point I want to make.

“I still love her, you know? I’ll always lover her, but it’s different now. It’s not… _romantic_.” Len’s face is hidden behind a mask as he digests all the information I’m feeding him. 

“My _point_ is I don’t want that to happen _again_. So whether you reject me or not, that isn’t the most important thing to me right now. I need you to know, that as much as I’ve tried denying it—which believe me, I’ve _tried_ —the truth is, I’m in love with you, Leonard Snart.”

I avoid meeting his gaze because I need to get this off my chest once and for all, and I don’t trust myself to be able to carry on, once caught by those frosty grey-blue orbs.

“I’m fully aware of who _Captain_ _Cold_ is, so this isn’t some idealized crush. I don’t expect you to be someone else because I fell for you with my eyes wide open. I love you knowing _exactly_ who you are. I love both the good and the bad. So, no matter the difficulties—which I’m certain there will be _plenty_ of—I want to give us a shot. I want a chance to explore what sort of a relationship me and you could possibly have. So that way, I have no regrets even _if_ we crash and burn.”

I look over towards Len again, gazing directly into his eyes. Needing for him to see my compassion and sincerity.

“So, what do you say?” I smile, squeezing his hand, which is still holding mine. “Wanna be my boyfriend? Officially? Not just the flirting because we’ve been doing _that_ since day one. Unless I’m reading things entirely _wrong_ then… in that case never mind. I can understand.”

“You’re a moron, Kid. Do you _really_ have to ask? Of course I do, Barry.” He releases my hand in favor of pulling me into a hug, places a quick kiss on my forehead. “But this doesn’t mean I’ll go any easier on you should we meet under… _different_ circumstances, _Flash_.”

The mask Len usually wears is completely gone. He eyes are shining brighter, more beautifully than I’ve ever seen, with tears threatening to spill. It’s the most _vulnerable_ I’ve ever seen him—aside from that time when he had to kill Lewis Snart, his monster of a father, to protect Lisa.

“I wouldn’t expect any different, _Captain_.” I tease, laughing openly. I make a mental note to get Felicity a thank-you-present for the next time I _run_ into her—pun fully intended—because she was right, and her advice, though originally meant for my feelings towards Iris, is what gave me enough courage to confess to Len in the first place.

He breaks away first, but only to initiate a kiss—our very _first_ kiss. It’s soft and I can taste the alcohol on his lips even now, but it’s gentler than any other kiss I’ve ever had. The loneliness that had been bothering me for a while now is completely gone, his touch and taste completely eradicating it thoroughly. The person I‘ve been pinning for wants me just as much as I want him. Len is _mine_ —at least for the foreseeable future, and like _hell_ will I give him up without a fight. I’m feeling ecstatic, relieved, and tired all at once as the entirety of the day—and most of the night—catches up with me.

“Feeling up for a movie, Speedy?” Len asks as I curl up into his side, demanding to be cuddled. He obliges, wrapping an arm around my waist to pull me in closer, as I rest my head on his shoulder and he rests his head on top of mine.

“Yeah, sure. What are we watching? _Please_ say it’s not anything Christmas related because I’ve had enough of holiday themed stuff.” 

“It’s _not_ actually. I hate _mostly_ everything… that’s holiday themed. We’re watching a live action movie for Scooby-Doo, the one where the gang goes to _Spooky_ _Island_.”

“You got it just for the lame puns, didn’t you?” I tease light-heartedly, feeling free and completely at ease. 

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to let my guard down so easily and feel this safe afterwards. I reach for his free hand and lace our fingers together, still surprised by how cold his hands are compared to the rest of him—from what I’ve felt so far. I figured his hand would’ve warmed up by now, and especially because I’d held onto it for a while just moments prior. Maybe it’s a lasting affect of the Cold Gun, or maybe he has bad circulation and his hands are always cold because of it? Either way, I just need to feel grounded, whether it’s by his warmth or—in this case—his cold, to make sure I’m not just dreaming. With everything that’s been going on lately, watching a nice comedy with Len is just what I need actually.

“Puns are always a must, Scarlet. We’re a cold pack.”

“Ohh? Is that so? Guess I’ll have to _freeze_ on it then.” I quip back, with a smirk. I don’t know if it’s his coolness that puts me at ease around him or my feelings, but what I do know is this: _Spending time with Len is all I need to feel better…_ Everything _else is just bonus. Activities—like watching a movie in this case—are just_ excuses _to spend time with him._

**XXXXX**

****

****

** Time: 1:27 P.M. **

I feel well rested and comfortably warm. Too content and way too lazy to get up right away. I inhale deeply, breathing in Len’s musky scent, and wrap my arms tighter around his waist, feeling _wonderful_. I can’t help but smile as the events from yesterday break through my sleep induced haze.

 _Len_ _is_ _mine_.

I idly open an eye to take in my surroundings. The room’s dark, but I can tell it’s daytime from the few stray sunbeams slipping past the thick curtains blocking out the rest.

My heads resting atop Len’s shoulder while he has an arm wrapped around my waist and the other gently combing through my hair. I nuzzle into his touch, craving more.

“You’re finally awake, I see. Did you sleep okay? I’d hate to think you were having a _hard_ time.” Len teases, and I groan realizing I have morning wood. _How_ _embarrassing_.

 _“Shut up…”_ I groan out, pulling away from him to hide under the blanket.

“Let me take care of you. You know, since we wasted a perfectly good night yesterday.” Len hints, and as much as I’d love to indulge him, I can’t. Not yet. I want to take things a bit slow. This is important and I don’t want to rush in headfirst.

“What night? We didn’t go to bed till _after_ four in the freaking morning.” 

“You weren’t complaining about the time then. Remind me again, Scarlet, who was the one having random fits of laughter because the movie was ‘ _too good of a comedy_ ’ for them to handle?

“It was!” I exclaim in my defense. The ending part was my favorite when Shaggy and Scooby down an entire bottle of the world’s spiciest peppers. Their reactions were so funny I couldn’t stop laughing and had ended up vibrating against Len. I probably would’ve fallen to the floor, laughing, if Len hadn’t been making a constant effort to keep me seated upright.

“What time is it?” I ask, before spotting an old analog clock mounted on the far end of the wall adjacent to me, cock blocking him unsubtly in the process. “Shit! It’s past 1:30? Why didn’t you wake me up? I’m _so_  late. No scratch that—I’m way _past_ late. Captain Singh and Joe are going to murder me. There’s probably a casket all ready and waiting for me.”

“ _Relax_ , Kid, I took care of it. _You_ called in sick, so… as far as anyone else knows, you’re _not_ going to be there.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, sounding both suspicious and accusing at the same time.

“I sent Detective West a text message… from your phone, stating that precisely.”

I quickly grab my phone to check out what he sent. The first thing I notice is that I have _thirty-seven_ missed calls from said detective. _Thirty freaking seven!_

“I’m _so_ dead.” I announce, mortified. “How will I explain any of this? If he’s already this mad, I’m dead. The last time I had so many missed calls from him was this one time when Iris and I borrowed his car for a joy ride, and ended up crashing it. Granted it was without his permission, but still. That’s probably the maddest I’ve ever seen him. I tell him about us, and there will _be_ no bodies to burry.” 

“I’m sure it’ll all _cool_ _down_ if you give him some time to _thaw_. We can skip town for a couple of weeks, months if need be, and come back after things have _frozen_ _over_.”

“You did not just say that! Oh my gosh! How long did it take you to come up with that?” I demand, unable to stop myself from laughing. He just gives me a pleased smirk in reply.

“You know that’s not an option. Maybe if I wasn’t _The Flash_ , that could have been one, but not when I have a city to protect. I can’t run away from this…” I say after I’m done laughing, to keep my tone as serious as the matter at hand.

“And, I don’t want to even if I could. I’m not ashamed of you or my feelings for you. I want _you_ , and if my friends and family care for me… if they believe in me, then they’ll support my decision no matter what. Because one way or another, they’ll have to deal with us. Whether they choose to accept it the easy way or the hard way is up to them, but my choice to be with you won’t change.” I kiss him, soft and gentle, making it meaningful and sincere, conveying the feelings I can’t express through words alone. Though on second thought, I probably should have waited until after we both brushed our teeth.

“ _Obviously_ , I can’t vouch for where we’ll end up in the future, but if there’s anything that I know for sure, it’s that I’ll never _ever_ stop loving you _or_ believing in you. Not ever. Maybe it may not be romantic in the future, but I’ll still _love_ you and _care_ for you, the same way I do for Iris. You’re a good person, whether you choose to accept that or not, because I wouldn’t have fallen for you so hard otherwise. I mean, think about it.” I say kissing his cheek.

“Mhm.”

“I’m serious! If I could, I’d tell _everyone_ how important you are to me, but since we can’t, I’m okay with telling just our friends and family. For now, though, I really do need to call Joe and tame the situation a bit before I drop the figurative bomb on him.”

“You’re not going to tell him about us over the phone?”

“No, of course not! This is _too_ important to be said over the phone.” I say, and I guess that was what he wanted to hear because he’s smiling that perfect smile again.

“Will you come with me to S.T.A.R. Labs this evening? That’s where and when I want to tell everyone, so that way things can be more contained—and trust me, we’ll _need_ the containment if we’re going to tell Joe West. I’ll also make sure Joe and Eddie don’t have their guns on them, once we get there, so I don’t have to worry about you getting shot.”

“Of course.”

I go to my messages next; to make sure I’m not clueless about anything before I call Joe. It reads: _I’m going out for a run. Please call in sick for me if I’m not home by the time you leave for work. I need some time to cool down._

“You just couldn’t resist, could you?” I ask Len with a chuckle, before dialing Joe’s cell.

“You know me, Barry. I won’t give up any chances when it comes to puns.” Len smiles, a genuine smile, and I forget about everything else for a moment.

“Barry, where the hell are you? Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?” The anxiety rushes back and I snap out of my daze as Joe’s voice filters through.

“Sorry Joe. I’m—” I pause as he cuts in and continues to fuss on.

“Do you know how _irresponsible_ it is to just disappear in the middle o’ the night?” 

“Yes Joe, I know it was very irresponsible of me. I’m sorry. I just… needed some air. I wasn’t feeling too good. I _swear_ I was going to come back home, but then I decided to go to the labs ‘cause I caught a cold and I didn’t want you to catch it. 

“A cold? I thought you couldn’t get sick because of your… _speedy healing system_.” Joe whispers the last part, cautiously.

“Uh-huh… guess even I can get sick. Don't worry about. I’m already feeling much better. I slept most of it off, and since I’m a fast healer, I should be a hundred percent in a few more hours.”

“Are you coming to work then?”

“Yeah, I’ll drop by the precinct later. To catch up on everything I’ll have missed by the end of today. I also… uhm… have a question for you. Can you stop by the labs tonight? I have something very important to tell everyone. And don’t worry, it’s not bad news or anything… at least not for me.” I mumble the last bit a little too quickly so that Joe wouldn’t hear it and somehow catch on.

“I’ll be there. What time?”

“Awesome… Let’s say… tonight at seven, then?”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then Barr.”

“Yep. Oh, and could you bring Eddie with you? I need him there too.”

“I’ll let him know.” 

“Okay, thanks,” I say, quickly hanging up right after. Doubting my ability to hold back the word vomit threatening to let the iceberg hit the ship—metaphorically speaking. 

“You _sure_ I can’t convince you to _play_?” Len smirks, licking his lips, cocking his head to the side, and giving my morning wood a once over longingly. We’re both sitting up in bed, except I’m balancing myself by leaning more foreword instead of propping myself up against the headboard like how Len is doing. 

“Oh, I’m _more_ than certain you could, but I want to wait if that’s okay with you.” I admit truthfully, turning away to kill the temptation his hungry eyes make me feel. “I want our first time to be special. I don’t want our relationship to be _just_ about sex, and also, I _really_ don’t want to do it _just_ to do it, you know? Because when we finally _do_ , do it… I want you to make _love_ to me. I want it to be real and passionate. I want to loose myself in you. But I can’t do that, if our relationship feels like some dirty little secret. So, we have tell the people we care for most, exactly how we feel for each other before sex can even become a possibility.”

“Okay,” Len reassures me and there’s so much understanding in his voice as his face softens into an expression I’ve never seen on him—an expression I wasn’t sure I’d _ever_ see on him—at least not for _me_.

“I’ll hold you to that, Scarlet. I won’t let you _run_ _out_ on me.”

 

 

XXXXX

 

 

** Time: 3:00 P.M. **

 

I can smell the strong aroma of coffee and pancakes by the time I step out of the shower, and it smells _amazing_. I’m so glad Len’s in the kitchen otherwise he would’ve heard my stomach rumble, and the last thing I want is for him to tease me about my appetite again. 

Lost in the scent, I quickly slip on the fresh pair of clothes Len has set aside for me, not really paying attention to what I’m changing into, and flash on over to the kitchen, eager for food.

“Right on time, Scarlet.” Len smirks at me and I can’t help but smile at him in return. I take a seat at the dinning table, in the same chair I sat in last night. He’s coming my way with a huge platter of freshly made pancakes and my stomach growls loud enough to draw out a chuckle from him.

“That hungry, huh? What happened to all that food you practically _inhaled_ yesterday?”

“Shut up…” I grouch, too hungry to come up with some witty comeback; not when there’s food this close to me—smelling heavenly and just within my grasp.

“Don’t worry, I made plenty for the both of us, just in case. So eat up.” Len says placing down the platter and kissing my cheek.

I help myself to a plate full and Len just smirks to himself with a slight headshake as I pour out a generous amount of fresh maple syrup and start wolfing down my food, but thankfully he doesn’t comment on it any further. Instead, he fixes a plate for himself and sits down next to me; giving me a scoop full of homemade whipped cream and pieces of sliced fruits that I hadn’t even noticed were there in my haste to eat. 

“Did you make all of this from scratch?” I ask, curiosity getting the best of me. By now I’ve downed at least twelve pancakes and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

“Of course. Fresh food is healthier.” He replies nonchalantly, continuing to eat his food.

“I never would’ve pegged you to be a health snob, Len, but hey, I’m not complaining. Not as long as you keep on making these. Like seriously, what did you even put in here? This is _so_ good… I don’t ever want to stop eating. These are definitely the best pancakes I’ve _ever_ had.” I exclaim. 

“Though don’t tell Iris I said that. She’ll pester us both until you make her some.” I warn but Len just laughs at that, a genuine laugh, and maybe I should be a little more grateful he doesn’t do it too often, otherwise I might be dead by now, because I can swear my heart missed a few beats just now.

“I wouldn’t mind. You can ask Lisa, I actually _love_ to cook.”

My eyes wonder over to his outfit and I gape openly at him, realizing that I probably look like a fish with the way my mouth keeps opening and closing, but I really don’t care. Because Len’s wearing pajamas! And not just any old pair of pajamas either, he’s wearing red ones with yellow lightening bolts— _The Flash_ pajamas! And somehow, he’s managing to look both cute and sexy at the same time, but that’s beside the point. I’ve never seen this domestic side of Len, until now, and I must admit that I’m falling in love with it all ready. 

“See something you like, Speedy?” Len teases, but I ignore the playful tone in his voice. Too focused on his fashion choice.

“They’re selling pajamas now?” I ask bewildered. “But more importantly: _Why_? Why the hell do _you_ have a pair?” I ask, feeling a blush creep up my neck. I’m not sure whether I should be embarrassed or amused. Flattered, definitely.

“I got us a matching pair. Apparently, they made some for _Captain_ _Cold_ as well.”

“Wait, _seriously?_ You _did?”_

“Don’t tell me you were so distracted by hunger that you didn’t even look at what I’d left you to wear—You’re wearing them, Scarlet.” Len teases me, very amused, while I just wish to die quickly before the mortification stones me. I opt not to reply at all and just continue eating, ignoring his amused chuckles. 

I have a feeling this will be a long day. Especially after I call the others to meet up with me tonight. I’ve decided that I want my father, Iris, Cisco, Caitlin, Joe, and Felicity to be there for when I finally come out about my feelings towards Lenny. I want them to be the first ones to know.

 

 

XXXXX

 

 

** Time: 7:02 P.M. **

 

“You ready?” I ask Len after we lock up the house. He nods in confirmation, and I pick him up and run to the labs at top speed. We’re both dressed in our outfits from yesterday. 

After dropping him off in the hallway outside, I flash into the cortex, disarming Joe and Eddie in the process. I stash their guns in one of the desk drawers, too quickly for anyone to notice, and therefore eliminating the chance of unnecessary and unwanted questions.

“Okay good, so everyone’s here… and acoupleofextrapeoplewhoIdidn’tinvite.” I say, stretching out the ending of ‘here’, and mumble the rest of the sentence under my breath using super-speed subconsciously once I realize there’re two uninvited people present here.

“Well… thanks for… uh… coming.” I announce, nervously. Now that I’m actually here, the truth of the situation dawns on me, and I’m a little baffled to be completely honest. Everyone from my original invitees is present, aside from Felicity and my dad; I couldn’t reach either of them. The unexpected company would be Jay, and the non-invitee would be Harry. I mean I figured he’d be here at the labs, I just thought he’d be somewhere else… you know, _minding his own business._

I’m standing in front of the entrance with my back towards it, facing my friends and family. Len’s going to be waiting outside in the hallway for my cue. At least we have a plan. Sort of. Maybe I should’ve made note cards or something.

“So… uhhh… the _reason_ why I called everyone here at the same time is because… uhm well… you see… it’s a little _complicated_. I have some news I need to share with you guys. It’s not bad news exactly… or well that depends on what each one of you defines as good or bad, but I’m hoping most of you _won’t_ flip your shit over it, so—”

“Now you’re starting to worry me a little, son.” Joe interrupts me and I lose my thought process, forgetting what I was about to say. “Just tell us what it is and we’ll deal with it together. Whatever it is. Is it _Flash_ related?’

“No… well maybe? It doesn’t really involve _The Flash_ , but it is part of it. Sort of.” 

“It’s okay, Barry. You can trust us.” Iris speaks up next. “We won’t judge you, so don’t be afraid to tell us. We all love you—” 

“I don’t.” Harry comments, boredom and annoyance clearly present on his face. He’s tinkering away at something behind the desk.

“Everyone, except for, _Dr. Asshat_ , here, loves you. And nothing you say or do will ever change that. What could possibly be so bad? Hmm?”

Joe nods along, Eddie gives me a nervous smile, and Cisco gives me a thumbs up, which I’m guessing are meant to be signs of support, so I force a small smile in return and try swallowing down the nerves rising up my throat.

“Well you see… there’s this person… that most of you do _not_ like, and we’ve had some… issues with him in the past… but things have changed, and we’ve come to a… uhm… understanding? I mean we… I—”

“For the love of time, just spit it out Mr. Allen.” Harry grounds out, already frustrated and impatient.

Everyone else has worried looks on their faces, and I just know I’m somehow making the situation worse. They were already on edge before I even got here, so I was supposed to make them relax and open up to the idea of Len and I being together before _actually_ dropping the hammer of truth on them all. Yet here I am instead, making them even more tensed and worried.

“You know when I said that thing about me catching a cold, Joe? What I really meant was—”

“Me. I’m the cold.” Len cuts in, casually strolling into the cortex and halting to a swift stop right next to me.

I don’t know whether I’m more panicked or more angry right now. That was _not_ part of the plan! I had specifically told him to wait outside in the hallway until I was done explaining the situation to everyone. And now I’m freaking out because the plan is ruined and I have no idea on how to continue. This definitely won’t be pretty or contained. Not anymore. Central City better be ready for a hurricane.

“Snart!” Joe’s hands go straight to his holster, and I’m super glad I’d thought ahead and had disarmed both him and Eddie right away.

I quickly move in front of Len, shielding him with my body. Drawing all the attention back to me. Harry has a calculating look on his face while everyone else is giving me looks of pure disbelief and confusion, waiting for me to explain further. 

“It’s _okay_. He’s not here to hurt anyone.” 

“Oh _yeah_? Then why’s he here?” Cisco asks. I can tell he’s apprehensive of Len, but he’s holding his ground with his arms crossed in front of him like a makeshift shied. 

“Because I _invited_ him.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because Len’s the person I was talking about, earlier, when I was telling you guys about the person I have a... uhm... understanding with. I want to be honest with all of you. I need to be. That’s why I scheduled this meeting in the first place.”

“Remember the last time you _invited_ him here?” Joe emphasizes using air quotes. “Things didn’t go so well for us.”

“This time is different. He won’t betray me—I mean us! He won’t betray our trust. 

“What makes you so sure?” Caitlin questions.

“Because—”

“So what? Because he’s somehow managed to fool you into trusting him, _again_ , you just expect us to blindly follow your lead and trust ‘im? After _everything_ he’s done? No way, Barry!” Joe cuts in, not even letting me give my explanation.

“You’re expectations from me are too high, Detective. I’m touched, truly. But, I can assure you I won’t be icing anyone, _Scarlet_ , here—” Len gestures towards me. “—Cares about.”

“He couldn’t even if he wanted to—which he does _not_ by the way.” I add in before Joe could respond to what Len had just said. “He doesn’t have the Cold Gun _on_ him, _okay_? I made him leave it behind, so rest assured.”

“I _agreed_ to leave it behind, Barry. There’s a difference.”

“What do you mean by _made_ , Barr?” Iris asks, curiosity and caution both in her voice and in her expression, and excitement shining brightly in her eyes.

“Yeah, why would Captain _Evil_ listen to anything _you_ tell him to do?” Cisco chips in.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you guys, if you’d all shut up and let me talk. Now then, if everyone’s done interrupting me, I can get back to the explaining.” I pause to get a confirmation from everyone.

“He listened willingly because…we’re—”

“—Dating.” Len finishes my sentence before I could chicken out, or before someone could interrupt me again. I guess there isn’t really an easy way to drop a bomb, so the Band-Aid theory is always the way to go. Fast and blunt.

“No Joe, _stop_!” I yell, blocking off Joe’s attempted attack at my boyfriend by catching his fists. 

It’s a good thing I’ve been ready and standing on guard in front of Len, other wise things would’ve gotten messy and someone _would_ have gotten hurt. 

“You’re defending criminals now, Barr? From me?” Joe’s voice is one of disbelief and hurt. “You’d protect that monster? Have ya lost yo’r mind, son? Don’t you remember the fact that he tried to kill you—kill us? You’re going to ignore all of that because he’s somehow tricked you into trusting him? You’re going to look the other way because you think he likes you? Can’t you see that he’s just using you?”

“It’s not like that, Joe! You don’t know him the way I do, okay. He’s different than what you think.”

“I didn't realize the two of you were so close, Barry.”

“We weren't! Not at first…”

“So then, _when_ did the two of you become so close exactly?” Cisco asks, and I can tell he feels betrayed that I didn’t consult with him about this beforehand.

“I've been visiting him at the prison.”

“Behind our backs?” Joe ask, disbelief dripping from his tone. 

“It's not like that okay. It’s not as _simple_ as that.” 

For a few minutes the room falls into an uncomfortable silence. And it stays that way, because no one is foolish enough to speak while Joe is having an internal debate.

“We’ve got time, start explaining.” Joe orders, finally breaking the silence. His voice is stern yet calm, with boiling anger just beneath the surface.

“During the time we saved Lisa, I realized that we were all wrong about him. I understood that he was a good person, despite all the bad shit he'd done and all the masks he’d worn to make us believe otherwise, and then I just wanted to know him more. And I wanted to... I don't know... convince him to be the better person I could see in him? The person I _know_ he can choose to be and already is deep down, especially after witnessing how far he was willing to go to save his sister first hand.”

“Your only twenty six! He’s way too old for you!”

“He’s only eight years older than me!”

“He betrayed us! He betrayed _you_!”

“For a good reason! We were in the wrong that time, Joe. We weren't thinking properly because we were running out of time. He saved us from doing a horrible thing. If we _had_ succeeded in the mission, I'd hate myself for doing something so cruel after everything had blown over. You were against the meta-human transport too, because you _knew_ it was wrong. We only put them in the pipeline to rehabilitate them, but we _failed_ to do that! Miserably!” 

“But at least we were trying—”

“It doesn’t matter what we were trying to do or what our end goal was, Caitlin. We failed to rehabilitate them, and were just keeping them prisoners here—illegally might I add, which was beyond wrong. We should’ve helped built the meta-wing in Iron Heights sooner rather than later because we wouldn’t have been able to keep them locked up down there forever, and it was wrong that we even _tried_. No matter what _Eobard_ had manipulated us into believing.”

“But Barry—” 

“No Joe! He's a _good_ person. You weren't there that night when Lewis was there. He could've killed me if that's what he really wanted, but he didn't. Not even when that monster had his thumb on the trigger and was threatening Lisa’s life for mine. Instead he chose to believe in me—in us—and trusted our team to help save his sister.”

“Don’t be so naïve, Mr. Allen. That doesn’t really prove anything other than the fact that he froze in the moment.” Harry retaliates, pausing on whatever it is he’s been working on.

“I’m not being naïve! You’re just being close-minded!”

“No, I’m using logic and rationality to play devil’s advocate against your case to see how well you actually know things, and so far your argument is weak and full of empty words.” 

“You haven't seen him the way I have! There's good in him! He _is_ good! There are so many aspects to Len that you do _not_ know, so don’t you dare pretend to know him! None of you have the right to judge him!"

“Oh, and you just know him _so well_ , because you visited him while he was in prison?” Joe counters. 

“It’s not just from his time during the prison, okay? We’ve had other moments.”

“Now is not the time for this, Barry! Let’s say for arguments sake, that he _is_ who you believe him to be; then you’re just making him another possible target. Zoom won’t hesitate to kill him to hurt you. He’ll do whatever it takes to carry out his plans. You of all people should know that by now. You should understand the threats and dangers involved better than anyone else.” Harry explains, becoming even more frustrated.

“I am more than capable of handling myself against a speedster, doctor… Zoom’s got a another thing coming if he thinks he can ice me _or,_ Scarlet, here.” Len replies confidently, reminding everyone that he in fact _can_ handle himself. 

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I agree with Dr. Wells.” Jay speaks up for the first time. He and Eddie are the only ones in the group who have been exclusively listening until now. “The last thing you need are more weaknesses, Barry. Don’t underestimate Zoom. Ever.”

“I’m not underestimating Zoom now and I won’t in the future either, but Len isn’t a weakness. You can’t deny that we’re stronger together than apart. Zoom will have a much harder time handling the both of us if we’re teamed up instead of fighting me on my lonesome.”

“He’s right. Besides, don’t I have the weapon made _specifically_ to take a speedster down?” 

“Yeah, the one you tortured me for.” Cisco scoffs, apathetically, but is ignored since everyone else is focused on Jay and I.

“Zoom’s too _fast_ for your gun.” Jay says, a hint of annoyance in his voice. 

“It’ll help slow him down though, won’t it?” I argue. 

“Theoretically, it should. But Zoom’s speed is so much faster than yours, it would barely have any effect on him, if at all.” Harry counters, still playing devil’s advocate.

“ _Again_ , the gun he forced me to make for him by _torturing_ me!” Cisco repeats, demanding attention. _Of course_ he’s still salty about Len kidnapping him and his brother. And while I believe that Len wouldn’t’ve actually _killed_ either of the Ramon’s for my identity, he definitely would have _hurt_ Cisco’s brother _badly_ ; which isn’t really any better, but it would’ve just meant that he was very desperate. 

“ _No_ , I _kidnapped_ your brother for that.” Len clarifies, nonchalantly. “The torture was for Barry’s identity. Besides, it’s not like your brother lost any of his fingers, and you _did_ kiss my sister.”

“ _You’re_ not _helping_!” I whisper, elbowing Len in the stomach. 

“I’m just being honest! I thought that what you wanted!” Len whispers back, scowling.

“It is, but refreshing their memories isn’t gonna help us! This was why I told you to let _me_ do the talking.”

“Well then do whatever you think is best, and leave me out of it! At least I’m not trying to sugar coat anything. Telling them was your idea, yet you couldn’t even get the words out of your mouth. If you didn’t want me saying anything, you shouldn’t have brought me along, Kid.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it!” I turn around to look him in the eyes. He looks hurt. I can see it in his eyes, even through the mask. “I’m sorry, _okay_? You just barged in here suddenly and then there wasn’t a plan to follow and I freaked out and—I’m sorry, okay? It’s not fair to take it out on you. I didn’t mean to make it seem like I was second-guessing this or something.”

“Like I told you earlier, I haven’t changed my mind about any of it.” I reassure, taking a hold of his hand. I don’t want to risk any more of Joe’s wrath than strictly necessary, so obviously I have to be extra careful about how intimate we are in front of him, at least for the time being.

“Good because if you chicken out now, I’ll be the one kicking your butt. Do you know how irritating it’s been to watch you try to convince yourself that you didn’t have feelings for Cold because that would be a ‘bad’ thing?” Iris says making air quotes around the word _bad_. 

“You knew? For how long?” I turn back around to face Iris, not letting go of Len’s hand.

“Since you started sneaking into the prison to visit Cold.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” 

“I figured you’d tell me when you were ready. I was waiting to see if you’d trust me enough to tell me about your secret this time around.” 

“So you’re _not_ mad, even though I lied about where I was going to your face?”

“I wish you would’ve told me _sooner_ , but no, I’m not _mad_ at you. I get _why_ you did what you did. You were confused about what to do and needed space to figure things out. I wasn’t going to get in your way if I couldn’t be helpful. Plus, watching you pine over him was kinda adorable.”

“But you were on the offensive yesterday… when we got home.”

“Well duh. I had to play my part, right? I had to keep you from suspecting that I knew the truth before you were ready to tell me. Not to mention, it was _irresistibly_ funny, to see the two of you pretend to _not_ like each other. I swear, the two of you would have started making out then and there, against the fireplace, if I hadn’t made my presence known.”

“What? We _wouldn’t_ have! We weren’t together then.” I deny too quickly, noticing the way Joe’s fuming. I know it’s not possible, but I’m still expecting hot steam to come out of his ears any second now, like it happened in all those old cartoons.

“ _Would’ve_.” Iris continues on, ignoring her father. “You’re both beyond obvious, Barr, even without all the eye fucking. And don’t you dare to even think about trying to deny it, that’d be insulting to my evil genius. Besides, who do you think covered for you? Hmm? Who do you think kept anyone else from finding out about where you were spending all your precious free time? Hmmm?”

“You _did_? _Why_?” 

“You _covered_ for him?!” Cisco, Caitlin, and Joe exclaimed in unison.

“You’re my best friend, you love him and he seems to love you back, _and_ he makes you happy, so there’s no way he’s evil or whatever dad thinks he is. I trust your judgment, Barr. I’m just very happy you finally told me the truth.” Iris answers me, ignoring everyone else.

“I don’t know what to say.” I tell her, sincerely touched and relived. I’d been so worried that no one would accept any of this that I never even dared to think of a positive possibility. 

“A simple ‘ _thanks’_ will do.” She chuckles, smiling. 

“Right. Thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome. What else are best friends for, hmm? I’ll always be here for you.”

“You _can’t_ be serious, Iris!” Joe blows a fuse. There’s a popped up vein on top corner of his forehead.

“I _am_. And, no matter what you do you can’t make us, change our minds—Barry or me. It’s his decision to follow his heart, and it’s mine to support him no matter what. And just so you know, no amount of dirty looks or the silent treatment will persuade me, so don’t even bother." 

“You’re both insane! Eddie, _please_ … talk some sense into her. You have to get her to understand how crazy this is! How can she even _think_ about approving Barry’s relationship with a criminal like Snart?” Joe turns to Eddie, his last hope to get Iris on his side of the argument.

“Uh…” Eddie looks startled, like deer trapped in headlights, beyond nervous about being brought into the argument and unsure about whose side to take. Luckily he doesn’t have to just yet. 

“Leave my _husband_ out of this, _dad_! He can’t control my decisions or me. Unlike you, he loves me enough to _trust_ me _and_ my judgment.”

“And you all wonder why I can’t stand any of you.” Harry announces, sarcastically. I can’t tell whether he’s frustrated or amused, probably a little bit of both.

“He’s not thinking straight! He’s still just a kid and so are _you_!” Joe retorts, loudly. And like everyone else, he too, is completely ignoring Harry and his bitterness. 

“I don’t _need_ to think straight because I’m _not_ straight! No matter how much you might want me to be.” I accidentally say the first thought that pops into my head out loud, frustrated.

“I mean… we aren’t _children_ anymore Joe, and you need to stop thinking that we are as soon as we do something you don’t like!” I say, trying to fix my slip up. I squeeze Len’s hand tighter, flustered, and risk taking a peek at him. 

“Dork.” Len mumbles under his breath, quiet enough, so that only I could hear. He has such an endeared look on his face, it helps me calm down instantly. I direct a small thankful smile towards him in return. He’s amazingly supportive and always knows how to make me feel better somehow, which are two of the many reasons as to _why_ I love him, and Joe can’t force me to give Len up no matter what.

“I don’t have a problem with ya not being straight, son. _Snart_ is my only problem with all o’ this. You deserve better than him.” 

“Len is _perfect_ , I doubt any one else could be better, even if they tried. And you’d know that, if you stopped being so stubborn and became willing to give him a chance to show you. I didn’t purposely choose him to give you a hard time, Joe. He just _happens_ to be the person I fell in love with, and you _know_ I can’t control that!”

“So that’s it then? You’re just going to choose him over the rest of us?” Joe asks looking so heart broken and betrayed I have to turn away.

“Stop. Please. You can’t make me feel guilty about choosing to be _happy_. I’m not choosing _him_ over you. I’m choosing _myself_ over you. If you can’t accept that then there’s nothing else _I_ can do, but I’m most definitely not running away from this. Len _is_ my boyfriend, and you’re just going to have to deal with it.” 

“I have to go. Singh needs me working on a case first thing tomorrow morning.” Joe excuses himself, and quickly leaves the cortex. Ignoring me as if I’m not standing right in front of him and the exit.

“And, _I’ll_ be in one the labs. I don’t need any other distractions. I’m busy—don’t come to bug me. If you need something, figure it out yourselves. I’m sure you’re all _more_ than _capable_.”

“Only as capable, as you are at always being an asshole.” Cisco comments loud enough for Harry, who has receded into a lab, to hear. A crash of glass is the only response he gets in return; at which Cisco rolls his eyes as if he’s all too used to it by now to even bother commenting on it.

As soon as Joe’s footsteps are out of my hearing range, I lose all my self-control. Every emotion I was trying to keep contained comes pouring out and I can do nothing but cry. I turn around, into Len’s open arms that are just waiting to comfort me, and hug him back.

For the next few minutes no one speaks, and a suffocating silence fills up the room with only my sobs disrupting it. I never expected this coming out to be easy, yet this rejection is still painful. Joe is important, he’s family, and above all else, is a second father to me, so deep down I can’t _help_ but want his approval and support.

I’m very grateful and _lucky_ that at least Iris is on my side. Hell, she went above and beyond what I was expecting and hoping for, so why am I still so upset? Guess it means I’m just not lucky enough to have the approval of both Wests. Yet, even after knowing all of this, I can’t stop crying. My heart feels like it’s been grated and left to soak in vinegar. I feel out of breath and dizzy. I wish Joe didn’t matter this much to me but he does, and I can’t change that. So, he needs to understand that Len is just as important to me and I won’t abandon him.

I wanted Joe to tell me that he was happy for me and that he’d do his best to keep an open mind about Len, that he was willing to give Len a second chance for _me_. But I guess that was stupid and in hindsight I should’ve known better. I was too naïve for hoping for a different result against all the odds. He’s the one who walked away from me, not the other way around, so I refuse to let him make me feel terrible about being with the person I’ve fallen in love with. Now, if only my body would listen to me.

“He’ll come around, Barr. Just give him some time to wrap his head around it.” Iris says soothingly, rubbing my back.

“ _So_ … you’re for real about this?” Cisco asks the question even though he knows the answer, probably because he doesn’t know what else to say or how else to defrost the hollowness Joe left in his wake.

I nod in reply.

“Well then, we respect your decision. You’re not getting rid of us that easily, Mr. Barry Allen.” Caitlin vouches for both herself and Cisco.

“I don’t know what to tell you, but as long as you’re content and sure about being with him, you have my full support. For now you’ll have to excuse me. I have a job interview early tomorrow morning.” Jay beams us all a charming smile before making his way towards the exit, a little too quickly, like he can’t leave fast enough.

“But, that doesn’t mean we trust you.” Cisco says to Len, continuing the conversation while Caitlin waves Jay goodbye. “If you hurt Barry in anyway or give any of us a reasons to doubt you, I _will_ make sure your stay in Central City is hell.”

“A-and I won’t hesitate in arresting you, if you make Iris and Barry regret giving you another chance.”

“Understood, I’ll remember to be on my _very_ _best_ behavior.” Len replies seriously. Though, by the slight twitching at the corner of his lips, I can tell he’s slightly amused that both Cisco and Eddie just threatened him.

It hasn’t even been a minute yet, before Iris pounces on Len. Figuratively speaking.

“So _Len_ , wanna meet me for some lunch tomorrow?”

“Sure. I’d love to.”

“Great! How does pizza sound?” 

“ _Cheesy_.”

“Perfect. Let’s meet at _Marco’s Pizza_ at twelve o’clock then. Sound good?” Iris asks, jumping at the opportunity right away. _Smooth_.

“Yes. I’ll see you then.” 

“Wait, you mean just you and Len? What about me?” I ask once I process their conversation. Plus, I don’t want Iris interrogating my boyfriend.

“You can hang out with Eddie and Cisco. Or get more work done or something.”

“Oh! Speaking of work…” I flash over to where I had hidden the gun earlier. “You guys’ll need it tomorrow, right? I don’t want either one of you to get in trouble with Singh for loosing your guns or something.” I say, giving them to Eddie, carefully.

“Oh, umm… thanks.” Eddie nods, though I can tell he’s still a little nervous.

“I’m sorry, I had to disarm you both for safety reasons.”

“It’s okay. I understand.”

 

 

XXXXX

 

 

** Time: 8:43 P.M. **

 

I flash us back to Len’s safe house after saying goodbye to everyone.

“I don’t know about _you_ but _I’m_ starving. I’ll go get us some take out. What do you want? I’m getting tacos.”

“Tacos are fine.”

“Okay, I’ll be back soon.” I say, zooming out to get food, before Len can say anything else. I know it’s childish to runaway from things, but I really don’t want to talk about anything that’s happened today. So I purposely take longer to get the food, avoiding the inevitable conversation for a while longer.

“I’m back.” I announce, heading into the living room.

“So you are.”

“You feeling up for a movie?” I ask Len after setting down all the food in the living room. “I want to watch second Scooby-Doo movie. I like comedy.”

“Sure, but first… tell me, how are you holding up, Speedy?” Len asks. Sometimes I hate how observant he is. I knew this was coming, but I wish he’d give me a pass anyway.

“Fine. You?” I ask him in return, taking a seat on the couch. I just want this conversation done and over with, or avoided all together if possible.

“How are you really?” Len presses on, ignoring my question and sits down next to me on the couch. He slowly caresses my cheek, like he already knows the answer but just needs me to say it out loud, and I don’t have it in me to lie to him when he’s looking at me with expectant and pleading eyes.

“Not good.” I sigh. “I mean I was expecting worse, so I should’ve been able to handle this, yet I wasn’t prepared enough. I’m happy everything’s finally out in the open though.”

“I know I may _never_ be good enough to deserve _you_ , but I’ll do my _best_ to make you happy, Scarlet.” Len promises, leaning in for a kiss, which I happily allow.

“I already am.” I mumble, against his lips, continuing to kiss him.

“Good.”

“The foods gonna get cold.” I remember, breaking off the kiss after a couple of minutes. “And I don’t know about you, but I _hate_ soggy tacos.”

I start eating as Len puts on _Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed._

“I’ll tell Lisa and Mick about us tomorrow.” Len announces as the opening credits began.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“No. I can handle it alone, and in my case it might be better. Besides, don’t you have today’s worth of work left to catch up on tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but I have super-speed, so I can do both.”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll be fine. I’ll let you know if I change my mind or do end up needing you, through the ring, so make sure not to lose it.”

“Hey, even _I’m_ not _that_ clumsy! There’s _no_ _way_ I’d lose the ring.”

“Uh-huh.” Len says in his _whatever you say_ tone.

“I’m serious! I _wouldn’t_ lose something so important!” I insist, not dropping the argument.

“The movies already started you know. Pay attention on screen”

“Ugh, I know! Gosh…” I say, finally giving all of my attention to the movie.

The movie does exactly what I needed it to do. It puts both of us in a good mood. The entire film is too hilarious and I can’t stop laughing for the life of me, not even once my cheeks turn red and sore because it’s just _that_ funny. Shaggy and Scooby are my favorite characters and they always have been. They’re both absolutely great. How can anyone _not_ love them? And aside from them, I really enjoyed those two one-eyed skeleton monsters in the movie. They cracked me up a lot as well.

Twenty minutes after the movie’s done and the ending credits have finished, Len and I are both on the couch, making out like nothing else in the world matters. My phones turned off, since I’m off patrol duty tonight.

When we finally stop, _needing_ to stop, to keep things from escalating any further, Len heads off to shower first. I brush my teeth, and wait for him to get out of the shower so I could use it next. 

He doesn’t take too long, but I take my time to enjoy the warm water heat my skin up.

After I’m done showering, I slip into my comfy _Captain Cold_ pajamas and step out into Len’s bedroom. He’s already in bed, waiting on me, dressed in his pair of our matching pajama set. 

“Come here.” Len orders, patiently waiting for me to climb into his open arms. I oblige, crawling to him from the foot of the bed. There’s truly nowhere else I’d rather be right now. 

A peaceful silence fills the room as we lie in bed, cuddled up into one another. I think over today’s events as Len caresses my hair. I mentally thank time travel because one good thing did come out of Cisco giving up my secret identity to Len: The deal I was able to make with him. Using which, I got him to agree to not kill anymore, making it one of the ground rules. Another ground rule was that he couldn’t hurt any innocents, no matter what.

Though it turns out that Len’s never hurt innocents before. Not by accident or in crossfire. Not even before our deal. I did some digging on every single one of his ‘victims’ and found out that they were all bad people. Even that security guard I’d failed to save at the theater. It turns out that his job was just a cover when in reality he was apart of the mob. He was the one who paid the hit men and handled all law enforcement related problems. So while killing is definitely a very bad thing, I’m happy that it wasn’t just some random innocent bystander at least.

I also know I shouldn’t be appreciative of all the events that brought Len and I together, but I am. I can’t lie to myself and pretend those feelings of gratitude don’t exist when I know full-well that they do, so I have to stay honest with myself and admit just how much I appreciate everything; even though most of our early encounters weren’t good or friendly in any sort of way. 

I snuggle closer to Len, wrapping my arms tighter around him and lovingly kiss his cheek. He’s hold around me tightens at that and he kisses the top of my head, softly muttering an, “I love you, Scarlet.” 

“I love you too.” I reply into his chest, my voice a little muffled, but both clear enough for him to hear and loud enough for him to _feel_ the words reverberate against him.

The last thought I remember having before sleep envelopes me is that I’d give up anything to be able to go to sleep like this, with Len every night, and to be able to wake up in Len’s arms every morning, like I had today. It would be more wonderful than any gift anyone else could ever give me. More wonderful than anything else _Len_ could give me.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to message me on [tumblr](http://ereri-yaoi-lover.tumblr.com/), subscribe my works, bookmark this, and most importantly please leave comments and kudos. Lets me know what parts were your favorite. Thanks for Reading. I've been working on this one shot for almost five months now, so I hope you all enjoy this.
> 
> -Sif Out-


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